How to Install RTA Kitchen Cabinets: A Complete DIY Installation Guide
One of the biggest reasons homeowners choose ready to assemble cabinets is the ability to install them yourself. Skipping professional installation can save thousands on a full kitchen project, and with RTA kitchen cabinets, it is genuinely doable for most homeowners with basic tools and a free weekend.
This guide walks you through the complete RTA cabinet installation process from start to finish, including what tools you need, how to handle walls that are not perfectly level, and the right order to hang cabinets so everything lines up correctly.
Tools You Will Need Before You Start
Before you open a single box, gather everything you need. Having the right tools on hand prevents unnecessary stops mid-installation.
Required tools:
- Tape measure
- Level (a 4-foot level is ideal)
- Stud finder
- Trim-head screws (to fasten cabinets together)
- Washer-head screws (to fasten through cabinet backs to wall)
- Drill and countersunk drill bit
- Screwdriver (Phillips)
- Pencil
- Ladder or step stool
- Safety glasses
Helpful but optional:
- Laser level (makes long runs much easier)
- Bar Clamps (for holding cabinets together while you fasten them)
- Cabinet jack or temporary ledger board (for supporting upper cabinets during hanging)
- Shims (essential for out-of-level walls and floors)
Assemble all your cabinets before you start hanging them. Each Lanae cabinet takes 15 to 30 minutes to assemble. Getting everything built first gives you a clear picture of what you are working with and prevents you from being mid-installation and needing to stop to build more boxes.
Step 1: Find Your High Point and Mark Your Layout Lines
No floor is perfectly level. The first thing you need to do is find the highest point of your floor along the cabinet run. This is the point your base cabinets will sit on, and everything else gets shimmed up to match.
Use your level across the floor along the full length of where your cabinets will go. Mark the highest spot with a pencil.
From that high point, measure up 34.5 inches. This is your standard base cabinet height, and it is where the tops of your base cabinets will sit. Draw a level horizontal line across the full wall at this height. This is your reference line.
From that same line, measure up an additional 18 inches (standard space between base and upper cabinets) and draw another level horizontal line. This is the bottom of your wall cabinets.
Mark all your stud locations along both cabinet runs using your stud finder. Circle each stud clearly so you can see them easily during installation. This is where all your cabinet screws will go.
Step 2: Install Upper Cabinets First
Always hang your wall cabinets before your base cabinets. Installing base cabinets first makes it much harder to reach the uppers, and you risk scratching or damaging the base cabinets while working overhead.
To hang upper cabinets:
Screw a temporary ledger board (a straight 1x4 or 2x4) along the wall at your upper cabinet line. This board supports the weight of each cabinet while you fasten it to the wall, which makes solo installation much easier.
Start at a corner or at one end of the run. Hold your first cabinet in position on the ledger board, check that it is plumb (perfectly vertical) with your level, and drill head screws go through back of cabinet into the stud.
Hang adjacent cabinets the same way, one at a time. Before fastening each new cabinet fully to the wall, clamp it to the neighboring cabinet and make sure the faces are perfectly flush. Use a counter-sunk drill bit to pilot a hole in the face frame, then drive a trim-head screw through it into the next cabinet to fasten them together (called "sistering"). This keeps the run rigid and the faces even.
Check level constantly as you go. Walls are rarely perfectly flat, and small adjustments at each cabinet add up quickly over a long run.
Step 3: Install Base Cabinets
With your uppers in place, move to the base cabinets.
Start at your highest floor point and work outward from there. Place your first base cabinet in position and check it for level in both directions (front to back and side to side). Use shims under the cabinet to bring it up to your 34.5-inch reference line if needed.
Once level, drill through the back hanging rail into the wall studs and fasten. Then, just like the uppers, clamp each neighboring cabinet to the previous one before fastening. Check that the faces are flush, sister the boxes together, and secure to the wall.
For corner cabinets, set those first. Corner cabinets anchor your layout and the rest of the run builds off them.
As you go, check repeatedly that your cabinet tops stay at your reference line. If the floor rises or dips, adjust your shims accordingly. Do not rely on the floor being consistent.
Step 4: Handle Gaps at Walls and Ceilings
Real kitchens rarely have perfectly square walls. Gaps between your cabinet run and the adjacent wall, or between the tops of your upper cabinets and the ceiling, are normal and expected.
Lanae carries a full line of filler strips, trim, and molding to close these gaps cleanly. Fillers are narrow strips of cabinet material that bridge the space between the end of a cabinet run and a wall. They are cut to fit and finished to match your cabinet color, so the end result looks intentional and built-in.
Crown molding along the top of your upper cabinets covers ceiling gaps and gives the kitchen a finished, high-end look. Lanae's trim and molding collection is available in finishes that match our Shaker and Slim Frame Shaker cabinet lines.
Browse trim, fillers, and molding at lanaehome.com/collections/catalog-molding
Step 5: Install Doors, Drawers, and Hardware
With all cabinet boxes secured, it is time to hang doors, slide in drawer boxes, and attach your hardware.
Lanae cabinets come with soft-close hinges and drawer slides included. Follow the hinge adjustment screws to fine-tune door alignment after hanging. Our hinges have three-way adjustment: up and down, in and out, and side to side. Take your time here because well-adjusted doors make a significant difference in how the finished kitchen looks and feels.
Attach your cabinet pulls and knobs last. Measure carefully and use a template or jig if you are installing pulls in the same position on every door and drawer. Consistency matters here and a $10 pull template from a hardware store is worth every penny.
Step 6: Cut and Install Toe Kicks
Toe kicks are the panels that close off the space between the bottom of your base cabinets and the floor. They give the kitchen a finished, built-in look.
Measure and cut your toe kick panels to fit each section. Snap them into the toe kick clips on the bottom of your base cabinets, or use a brad nailer to secure them. If your floor is uneven, you may need to scribe (cut at an angle) the bottom edge of the toe kick to follow the floor contour.
Common Cabinet Installation Mistakes to Avoid
Skipping the layout lines. If you skip the step of marking level reference lines on your wall, small errors compound across the run and your cabinets will look visibly uneven. Take the extra 20 minutes. It is worth it.
Not finding studs first. Cabinets need to be anchored into studs, not just drywall. A screw into drywall alone will not hold the weight of a full cabinet and everything inside it. Always locate and mark studs before you start.
Installing base cabinets before uppers. This is the most common sequence mistake and it makes the job much harder. Always hang uppers first.
Ignoring level as you go. Check level at every cabinet. Do not assume that if the first one is level, the rest will be too.
Rushing the door adjustment. Misaligned doors can be very noticeable so spend the time to adjust hinges carefully after all doors are hung.
Need Help Before You Start? Lanae Has You Covered.
If you are not sure your cabinet layout is right before you begin installation, Lanae's free professional design service will verify your plan and make sure you have the right cabinets for your space. Our assembly instructions and video guides walk through each step in detail.
Our Austin, TX-based customer support team is also available to answer installation questions by phone or email throughout your project.
Phone: (877) 360-2323 Email: info@lanaehome.com Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM CST
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